How to Increase the Resale Value of Your Vehicle

OKEMOS, Mich., – If you're looking to purchase a vehicle within the next few months, but plan on selling your old vehicle first, you'll do what you can to maximize your profit. Whether you're going to sell your vehicle next week or next month, knowing how to increase the resale value of your vehicle will make it look more appealing to potential buyers. If you're planning on trading your vehicle in for a newer one, be sure to value your trade by getting it appraised as soon as possible!

Keep A Detailed Service Record

The best way to show potential buyers that your vehicle is properly cared for is with a detailed service record. You can show them how frequently you've had parts and components replaced, when they were replaced, and prepare potential owners for future maintenance. Used vehicle buyers are willing to pay more for a properly maintained vehicle, and it'll be a lot easier to increase your vehicle's value this way. If you can't find any records of your vehicle's maintenance, websites like CarFax keep all of your service records on file for you to access.

Frequently Clean Your Vehicle

Having your vehicle regularly washed will make it look more appealing, prevent rusting, and increase its resale value. Taking your vehicle to the car wash, having it waxed, and putting extensive care into cleaning its interior will make your vehicle more valuable to potential buyers. Park your vehicle in shade or shelter to prevent nature from causing any unwanted damage to your vehicle's exterior. Refer to our routine maintenance tips for advice on keeping your vehicle at peak shape!

Practice Defensive Driving

Defensive driving will keep you safe and your vehicle at top value! Any history of collisions or accidents will severely reduce the value of your vehicle, making it much harder to get a good deal. Drive the speed limit, use your turn signals, and pay attention to other drivers to prevent any potential accidents from occurring. In the event that you end up in a collision, schedule service with us to get your car back in good shape and on the road again. 

Replace Your Lights & Covers

Dim or "foggy" headlights can severely reduce the value of a used vehicle. Getting your headlights replaced is very affordable and can make a huge difference to potential buyers. It will also improve visibility on the road, making it much easier for you to navigate the streets at night. While headlight cleaning products can help to increase visibility on the road, getting your headlights replaced is a better bet to make them look good as new.

Make Your Rims Look Shiny

Would you want to purchase a vehicle if the rims were grimy and dirty? Shiny rims increase your vehicle's cosmetic value and prevent rust from accumulating. Getting down and dirty and cleaning the interior and exterior of your wheels will make a huge difference when the time comes to sell your vehicle. You can even use tire shine product on your rims to make them look shiny and brand new.

Remove Scratches

If you were purchasing a used vehicle, you would pay a special attention to any scratches it may have. Make your vehicle more valuable to potential buyers by purchasing a scratch remover pen. They're fairly inexpensive, last a long time, and can make a huge difference with potential vehicle buyers. However, scratch remover pens only work with the replacement of surface-level scratches. If you have any scratches deeper than on the paint, you may have to take it in for further maintenance.

Remove Dents

This may seem a little silly, but one of the best ways to remove small and medium-sized dents on your vehicle is with the "plunger method"! Using nothing but a plunger and water, you can reduce or eliminate smaller dents on your vehicle's exterior, helping to bring its value up. First, wet your plunger and the dent's surface with water. After that, suction the plunger around the dent and pretend you're plunging a toilet. Before you know it, your dents will either be smaller in size or gone! If your dent is too large, however, you'll need to take it in for cosmetic maintenance to get it up to speed.

With these tips, your vehicle will be ready to trade or sell in no time! Since you know how to increase the resale value of your vehicle, you'll be able to get a great deal from us at Graff Bay City! Using our quick and simple form, you'll be able to estimate the value of your vehicle right away and can receive a better trade-in value when you bring it in. After you sell or trade in your vehicle, you'll want to find a new car that'll suit your needs, and our helpful guide will put you on the right track to finding that perfect vehicle! Take a look at our vast inventory to get a close look at what we have to offer!

Located conveniently just outside of Lansing, Hank Graff Chevrolet Okemos is here to help you with your car buying and servicing needs. Our goal is to create a transparent experience and a comfortable environment for all of our valuable customers. If you have any questions, or would like to schedule an appointment, reach us at (517) 349-8300, or stop by the dealership at 1748 W. Grand River in Okemos, MI 48864

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